State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development Namal Rajapaksa will be delivering the keynote address on the theme “Digital Inclusion and Transformation in South Asia” at a virtual event that will take place on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at 2 p.m.The event, organized jointly by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) of India, Colombo Initiative in Sri Lanka and the Sappani Foundation in Canada, aims to promote engagements between Sri Lanka, India and other nations in the region, which also aligns with Minister Rajapaksa’s vision to elevate Sri Lanka as a global hub for digital technology and commerce.Both India and Sri Lanka have leveraged their digital tools to help their populations through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital technologies have been crucial for the continuity of governments and industries and for social resilience during the pandemic, and they will also be key to post- pandemic economic recovery. The “pandemic push” also accelerated the adoption of services in the realms of e-commerce, digital payments and online education.The pandemic has accelerated the need to create digital inclusion in developing countries, in order to cope with the “new normal.” In such a context, Minister Rajapaksa will be outlining the progress Sri Lanka has made in terms of establishing digital inclusion during the pandemic. Further, the keynote address will also present the Government’s plan to achieve truly “inclusive” digital growth in Sri Lanka, in the post-pandemic era.